Death Cafe write-ups
We had a great turn out for our first shot at hosting the Death Cafe. 30 people showed up to eat and chat, which was our maximum capacity, we literally filled the place!
We started the evening with some quick introductions and reasons for attending. I gave some background on what Death Cafes are all about and opened the floor for topics of conversation.
We spoke about some of the characteristics of people who are dying, which lead into discussion about end of life situations. Lots of stories were shared about being with a loved one as they passed away.We talked about family dynamics, good and bad ...
Denver's 2nd Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Anita Larson on Oct. 22, 2013, 3:09 p.m.
The red and gold leaves of autumn glistened as 36 participants entered the Heflebower Funeral Home in Highlands Ranch, CO for Denver’s 2nd Death Café. This cozy, comfortable setting looks more like a Colorado mountain lodge than a funeral home. Attendees ranging in age from 27-85 talked about death while sipping tea and enjoying delicious cake.
Anita Larson, Facilitator & Celebrant provided background on the history of Death Café, the rules about no selling or promotion, respectful sharing and honoring all lifestyles and faiths.
A moderator was designated for each of the smaller groups of 5 or 6 and this format allowed for everyone to speak to ...
Charlton House Death Cafe (this is now fully booked) Write up
Posted by charltonhouse on Oct. 22, 2013, 4:07 a.m.
Our first Death Cafe was held in the comfortable Dutch room in Charlton House.
Eleven people attended and participated in discussion ranging from fear of death, talking to parents about their death, respecting people's wishes,how death is viewed in different cultures and religions and death and young people.
Words used to describe people's experience of this Death Cafe included honest, interesting, non pressured, illuminating, real, comfortable, relaxed, emotional, honesty, important, warm, thorough, calm, human.
From the feedback some participants felt that they would have preferred more structure and specific topics while others felt 'good that it was not controlled by anyone' 'good no pressures' and ...
Death Cafe Millerton, NY
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Our 3rd DEATH CAFE, and second time meeting at Irving Farm Coffee House, brought out an incredible group of people, with several familiar faces back for yet another evening of deep conversation, good vibes and delicious cake. The group was made up of men and women ranging in age from 40 - 75 and included nurses / former nurses, several published writers/authors and end of life doulas. They came from NY, CT and MA and formed our death cafe "community". The 4 candle-lit tables, each sat 5-6 guests and were arranged to create a cozy feeling. As a way to encourage ...
hello everyone, fall is upon us and our gatherings continue bi-monthly. we had a dynamic group this morning at our vero beach setting at the brackett library. some new faces and some return guests. our last gathering resulted in an additional write up in our local press journal paper regarding the cafe'. we think this brought some new faces. again, with angie at the helm, the conversation was left free form. it seems to be working well. there were a total of 13 people today. we are now attracting some younger participants as well. as we all know, death and religion are quite a tangled topic. our direction ...
Invito a partecipare al Death Cafe, conversazione aperta sulla morte e sul morire Write up
Posted by Elisabetta Lucchi on Oct. 19, 2013, 2:21 p.m.
There were eight participants at the seventh Death Café which was held at Elisabetta’s house.
Once again respect, serenity and a desire to listen and share characterized this get together.
During the first part of the discussion, as we explored the theme of death it became clear that for most of those present feelings of serenity were associated with the idea of death, both for believers and non-believers. It was perceived in general as a transformation and a passage to a peaceful place. Mourning, tears and grief are for those who are left behind, especially if the death is sudden and the person is young.
We also ...
Invito a partecipare al Death Cafe, conversazione aperta sulla morte e sul morire Write up
Posted by Elisabetta Lucchi on Oct. 19, 2013, 2:17 p.m.
Our sixth Death Café’ was held this time in the Cappa Café’, a pleasant café’ in an old building right on the river Adige in the historic centre of Verona.
There were six participants and the atmosphere was, as usual, serene and respectful.
The first part of the discussion touched the theme of the fear of death in our society. According to the opinion of those present there are two reasons for this fear: fear of seeing loved ones die suffering from a long drawn out illness and fear deriving from the Catholic religion which cultivates a dread of hell rather than focalizing on a meeting with God ...
Death Cafe in Chicago Write up
Posted by allenm1043 on Oct. 17, 2013, 7:02 p.m. 1 comment
We had a dozen people show up for this first Death Cafe in Oak Park, Illinois.
The Buzz Cafe is a well established local place with great community involvement. They offer the use of space on the second floor (which used to be the owners living quarters) to community groups. They have a web site and a printed monthly newsletter which are used to publicise events.
I bought a dozen gourmet cookies from the Buzz and brought a couple of bottles of wine from home. (With permission.)
We provided name tags and started the event with, "Let's have a quick go-around. Say your first name and what ...
Death Cafe at Cafe Rouge in Hampstead, London Write up
Posted by Josefine Speyer on Oct. 17, 2013, 5:25 a.m. 1 comment
This Death Café held on a pleasant September evening was fully booked – overbooked - but not all 42 people attended and so I think we were pretty much down to 30 or so, the normal capacity for the room.
The evening was wonderful, inspirational, moving and a positive experience all round. Cj Swaby, Liz Wong, Thom Osborn and I each facilitated a table. Halfway through the evening we took a break. We ended the evening with a ‘plenary’. On Thom’s suggestion, we made a large circle, everyone facing into the room so we could see each other. This plenary was a closing circle and a chance for anyone ...
Truth or Consequences Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Gail Rubin, CT on Oct. 14, 2013, 6:07 p.m.
October 13 at Black Cat Books and Coffee in Truth or Consequences, we had 13 people participate in a back room at the shop.
The conversation focused more on serious healthcare issues, suicide, the nature of life in nursing homes, and options for people with difficult physical conditions, as well as dementia and Alzheimers disease, to seek a painless, peaceful death.
We talked about the importance of having an advocate for a patient, available all the time. That attitude is everything, especially when you get old. How being at one's own home can provide more healing than being in a nursing home. How hospice support and pain ...
Silver City Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Gail Rubin, CT on Oct. 14, 2013, 6:04 p.m.
The Silver City Death Cafe was held at Javalina Coffee House with four participants in addition to facilitator Gail Rubin with A Good Goodbye. We all fit around one big round table, with plenty of elbow room.
The conversation was generally upbeat. We marveled at the sacred space that surrounds both birth and death, entering and exiting this world. We shared stories of messages of comfort and visions of loved ones who left this physical world old and worn out appearing as young and vital.
There were stories of those who experienced unexpected deaths, and how the loss impacted the storytellers. Both received messages from beyond this world ...
Friendly & Fearless Tucson Death Cafe Write up
Posted by tucsondeathcafe on Oct. 9, 2013, 4:56 p.m.
As the weather begins to cool in the desert, we gather for the TDC in relief that fall is here!
In September, 19 folks gathered outside for dinner, drinks and conversations about the 'shadow sides' of caregiving for a dying person, if they chose to take Kristine up on this as 'anchor topic'. Others discussed local cremation costs and final wishes, as they came hoping to do. People used the words helpful, open, ease-full, thought provoking, real and enlightening to describe the experience. Some folks were frustrated by the noise level of the live music outside, so in October we tried meeting in an indoor space at Monterey ...
Death Cafe at Cafe Rouge in Hampstead, London Write up
Posted by Josefine Speyer on Oct. 9, 2013, 2:33 a.m.
This Death Café held on a pleasant September evening was fully booked – overbooked - but not all 42 people attended and so I think we were pretty much down to 30 or so, the normal capacity for the room.
The evening was wonderful, inspirational, moving and a positive experience all round. Cj Swaby, Liz Wong, Thom Osborn and I each facilitated a table. Halfway through the evening we took a break. We ended the evening with a ‘plenary’. On Thom’s suggestion, we made a large circle, everyone facing into the room so we could see each other. This plenary was a closing circle and a chance for anyone ...
We gathered locally for cafe number five. it was a wonderful gathering with a variety of topics. near death experiences, fear of death, funeral attendance were some avenues we traveled down. we were joined by a representative from our local press journal who contributed as well as took away from the conversation. as a group we are growing in knowledge. we are also having fun exploring these new found friendships. our format remains free form, as it is working well.our latest contribution is the development of a reading list gathered from participants which we will be posting on our facebook page. next session is oct 21st in ...
The 3rd PDX Death Cafe - REGISTRATION CLOSED Write up
Posted by Holly Pruett on Oct. 8, 2013, 7:03 p.m.
In June they braved near 100-hundred degree heat; on September 29th it was torrential rains. Despite the dramatic weather, over 75 brave and curious souls gathered for the 3rd PDX Death Café, hosted by the Adult Education Program of the First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland.
An incredible 72 guests filled out evaluation forms; 73% of them were first-timers. Of those reporting how they had heard about the event, half cited a friend or other personal referral; one-quarter had heard about it through the host church; and one-quarter through the internet, Facebook, or media reports of Death Cafés in other communities.